The South African Bird Ringing Unit

Ringing birds around Africa!


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Colour-ringing of colonial waterbirds on the Cape peninsula - Cattle Egrets

Researcher/s: Dalton Gibbs, Doug Harebottle , ,

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Species: Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Location: Rondevlei Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa
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Running From: 2002 to 2004
Ring Type: Legring: colour combination
Colour Combination: Red ring tibia


Rondevlei Nature Reserve is probably the most important breeding locality on the Cape Peninsula for colonial waterbirds, and probably supports the largest Sacred Ibis breeding colony in the south-western Cape. The reserve also supports significant numbers of Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret, African Spoonbill, Blackheaded Heron, Grey Heron and Purple Heron during the breeding season which usually spans September to December. The birds use up to three of the four reed-islands in the vlei in which to build their nests.

To date a total of seventeen ringing sessions have taken place, nine in 2002, eight in 2003 and three in 2004. A summary of the number of colour-ringed birds is given below.

colour-ring type: Legring : one, coded.
colour-ring colour: Red [R]
colour-ring position: Tibia left.